BAGSHOT, England -- William Powell's trip to England was short and not so sweet.

Powell, a practice-squad running back, was waived by the Detroit Lions this morning, one day after he traveled to London with the team for Sunday's game against the Atlanta Falcons at Wembley Stadium (9:30 a.m., Fox).

It's not quite the New England Patriots cutting receiver Tiquan Underwood the day before the Super Bowl, but the Lions cut Powell to make room on the practice squad for safety Jerome Couplin, who was waived Monday so that the Lions could sign tight end Kellen Davis.

"It's a difficult thing to do, and you certainly would not want to do it -- a guy just gets here and, within 48 hours, he's heading back home," Lions coach Jim Caldwell said. "But that's kind of the nature of our business. The guys understand it, and I think, if you're up front and you tell them exactly why and what the reasons are and those kinds of things, it's a bitter pill to swallow, but they understand."

Couplin made two tackles in seven games with the Lions, but his role on special teams had dwindled as safeties James Ihedigbo and Don Carey returned to health in recent weeks.

Still, the Lions like Couplin's long-term potential and always intended to bring him back if he cleared waivers.

Davis could play as a backup this week because the Lions have injury issues at tight end. Eric Ebron (hamstring) and Joseph Fauria (ankle) both missed last weekend's win over the New Orleans Saints, and Brandon Pettigrew suffered an ankle injury in the game but was able to finish.

Caldwell said Ebron and Fauria "are rapidly improving," but their statuses for Sunday remain unknown.

Because the roster move was made today, Powell, who was on his way to the airport this morning, will get paid for the week.

"The reason why (we made a move while in London) is because the fact that just, in terms of practice, we need to be really at our best, in terms of making certain that we get a look on both sides," Caldwell said. "And in case anything happens, we need to be positioned to be able to adjust properly according to what our injury status is at different positions."